In Their Own Words

Acoustics

A building’s acoustics can have a large impact on the well-being, happiness, and productivity of its occupants.

Simply speaking, any sound that is unwanted, or in excess, is "noise." CertainTeed Building Science investigates sound paths to understand sound's sources and modes of transmission.

There are two types of sound paths: airborne sound and structure-borne sound. Airborne sound is directly transmitted from a source into the air. All sound that reaches your ear is airborne. Some examples of airborne sound are passing traffic, music or voices from an adjacent room, or the noise from machinery and aircraft.

Structure-borne sound, also known as "impact noise," is sound that travels through solid building materials such as footsteps on floors, door slams, plumbing and mechanical equipment vibrations, and the impact of rain and weather on a building.

Some practical sound control techniques that will improve the airborne sound transmission resistance of wall and floor-ceiling assemblies include:

Constructing airtight building assemblies by sealing around windows and doors, as well as any penetration through the assembly. Sound energy will always find the holes and take the path of least resistance.

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